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As are our roads and bridges and the interstate highway system.
Do you get a tax rebate if you don't use the interstate highways?
As our railroads lines and bridges. Amtrak funding is for Amtrak. Other railroad system funding is also performed at the state and government level.
Do I buy a ticket to drive on public roads?
A better question - do taxpayers subsidize Greyhound?
Now that I live in a town that has a major rail going through it, I'm suddenly aware of and interested in rail travel. But I've looked into pricing, and it's pretty ridiculous. I mean, the seats themselves aren't oppressively priced, but the roomettes are (I can't sleep in a chair). So it made me wonder, why is Amtrak so expensive? I want to contribute to this keeping this form of travel alive, for nostalgic reasons more than anything, but if it's cheaper to take a plane somewhere then that's how I'll always travel.
I just really romanticize the idea of taking an affordable train trip for a vacation, and can't bring myself to pay those prices. Is train travel dying? Or is it just a rich man's method of travel?
Lot's of people travel by train and a)do sleep in chairs and/or b)travel distances and times where going to sleep is not necessary. For certain short trips it beats the heck out of driving or air travel.
Also note that on some trains you can upgrade from coach to business class seats, which are larger and roomier. It usually isn't really that much more expensive.
If your plans are flexible check roomette prices for different days of the week. Also, with Amtrak the sooner you book your trip the better the chance of getting a lower price. Waiting to see if you can get a lower price rarely works with Amtrak. Often to get a substantially lower price you have to book your trip several months in advance.
One trick I've learned with the roomette's is to book the price further on down the line, and ride the coach until then and than switch to the room.
For example: You are traveling from New York to Anniston, Alabama (I believe that's a stop on the Crescent). Try to switch to the roomette somewhere in Virginia, and take the coach seat until that stop you are switching.
^ That actually sounds promising. I appreciate everyone's response to this thread. But that one actually has me feeling optimistic right there. I mean, it's a gamble in the sense that the roomettes might be all booked, but in another sense, it does seem like that would bring the cost down on the room. I shall look into this!
One trick I've learned with the roomette's is to book the price further on down the line, and ride the coach until then and than switch to the room.
For example: You are traveling from New York to Anniston, Alabama (I believe that's a stop on the Crescent). Try to switch to the roomette somewhere in Virginia, and take the coach seat until that stop you are switching.
That's a good point. Two years ago I had a roomette from Kissimmee Fl. to NC. I was in Tampa and bought a coach ticket to Kissimmee and when I boarded the train I told the conductor of my roomette, he checked and it was not occupied so he put me in the roomette right away.
[quote=Dd714;44531104
A better question - do taxpayers subsidize Greyhound?[/QUOTE]
Yes, taxpayers do subsidize Greyhound because they build and maintain the roads they use. That's why it makes sense for taxpayers to subsidize railroads.
Yes, taxpayers do subsidize Greyhound because they build and maintain the roads they use. That's why it makes sense for taxpayers to subsidize railroads.
The last time that I remember, Greyhound and all of the other bus lines pay fuel taxes as well as licensing taxes to the tune of $3-5k per year. And since Greyhound and the otehrs have to make a profit, they limit their service to routes where they are profitable.
If only Amtrak would do the same. Fortunately for them, passenger rail is subsidized by the taxpayers as well as the VERY PROFITABLE private railroads who maintain the track so that Amtrak can exist. I wonder if we could get another 10-20% of freight shipped on the lines if Amtrak would go away??
Because it is awesome. Traveling on the train I guess is a luxury, but it is nice and clean and the people on trips are always friendly. Engineers have to keep the trains and tracks running and they need to be paid a living wage. There is maintenance etc. It is like when people complain about the price of food.
Someone GROWS the food, and if someone PICKS and PACKAGES the food, it will cost money. If it is cheap...worry.
I was a bit surprised by the cost as well. I have looked at a train trip several times but couldn't justify the cost or the length of time it took to get where ever I was looking to go. I have used Amtrak for small trips. They started a new route from my location to my hometown. Taking the train was easy, cost about the same as gas and I didn't have to worry about fatigue when driving. Then they added an extension on that route including a major city. I gave up the option after a couple of bad trips with inconsiderate travelers. Being cooped up with people like that for 4 hours was too stressful for me. About a month after my last trip, there was an incident on that route where some guy flipped out and stabbed a conductor and a passenger. No thanks. I would think (and hope) that the long term trips include better behaved folks.
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